It should come as no surprise that people are affected by addiction in vastly different ways from one another. When treating addiction, specifically substance use disorders (SUDs), it’s integral to keep close the things that differentiate individuals from one another. Some differences that are more influential to how addiction develops include background, level of income, and even gender. As more treatment centers begin to grasp this difference, the need for addiction treatment for women has been steadily growing for years.
Programs for treating addiction have diversified in response to how well dynamic approaches improve individuals’ success rates. Women searching for substance abuse treatment programs in Asheville, NC inpatient or outpatient should remember the value of personalized care. Finding women’s rehab in North Carolina can be easy if you know what to look for. Treatment centers offering gender-specific care, partial hospitalization programs, and intensive outpatient care are best suited for any schedule.
Why Addiction Treatment for Women and Men Should Be Different
Addiction is a psychological matter as much as it is a biological one. Think of how we differ—this is why personalized care is a target of emphasis for treatment programs. The most crucial treatment someone can receive is designed with the individual in mind.
That means people of different genders are more likely to form addictions in ways similar to that of their peers. Overall, men are still more likely to abuse nearly all types of illicit drugs to a greater extent. While this puts men at a higher risk of organ damage, failure, or death, women have an almost identical rate of forming a substance use disorder.
This has some to do with how men and women process drugs differently. For instance, women develop addictive disorders faster than their male counterparts. This trend presents itself in several common drugs, including marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamines. As for painkillers, women are more sensitive to pain than men and typically take more painkillers. This increases the likelihood of developing substance use disorders.
About Gender-Specific Treatment
Gender-specific addiction treatment is an approach to providing care for people struggling with substance use disorders that takes into account the unique needs of each gender. This type of specialized care has been around since the 1970s when clinicians realized significant differences in how men and women experience addiction and respond to treatment.
Gender-specific treatment accommodates the social and cultural differences between men and women. Addiction develops in ways shaped by experiences—and cultural pressures and expectations often inform those experiences. Choosing addiction treatment for women allows for the personal elements of addiction to come to light, leading to better outcomes across the board.
Different approaches are essential to gender-specific care, too—men’s and women’s drug addiction treatment can take several forms depending on the individual’s needs.
- Partial hospitalization program (PHP)
- Intensive outpatient program (IOP)
- Outpatient program
- Dual diagnosis
- Medication-assisted treatment (MAT)
Nowhere do the benefits of this type of care shine more brightly than with gender-specific support groups. Women who have experienced the difficulties of living with a substance use disorder and how it affected their womanhood have a wealth of knowledge to share. Gender-specific treatment provides a safe, supportive environment for individuals to share their experiences and connect with others.
Find Addiction Treatment for Women in Asheville
Viewing addiction through the lens of womanhood can contribute significantly to an individual’s success in recovery. It’s crucial to factor in everything that plays a role in living with substance use disorder.
Addiction treatment for women is one of the rehab field’s more significant strides in accommodating everybody who struggles with addiction, and it’s seen widespread implementation across the United States. Searching for gender-specific care in Asheville,NC is the first step to finding a treatment program that caters to your needs. Begin your search for a SUD treatment center nearby and overcome the perils of addiction today.